Switch-operating mechanism



H. M. COSEY.

SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. I3, I919. 1,350,786, Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. M. COSEY.

SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13. 1919.

1,350,786. Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

Z SHEETS SHEET 2.

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY M. COSEY, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN.

SWITCH-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Application filed Novemb r 13, 1919.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY M. CosnY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Flint, county of Genesee, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Switch-0perating Mechanism, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to switch operat ing mechanism, and has for its object an improved organization of parts by means of which a switch can be thrown so as to open either the main track or the siding to an approaching car, without the necessity of either maintaining an operator on duty to throw the switch point with a hand bar or by means of a fixed switch lever, and without having to stop the car. No reliance is placed upon electricity for this purpose, and the throwing of the switch can be accom plished by the motorman or engineer of the car, from his platform thereon.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective of my improved mechanism in position relatively to a switch and the adjacent track rails.

Fig. 2 is a plan view from above.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailof the pivoted contact spanner and of its actuating gear wheel, in the relative positions that they occupy when switch is closed.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, with the parts occupying the positions held by them when the switch is open.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation along the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a detail elevational view through the center of the guide slot into which the contact wheel projects.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view of. the gear wheel.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail view of contact spanner.

Fig. 9 is a view of the L-shaped lever by which the movement of the contact spanner is transmitted to the switch point.

Fig. 10 is a side elevational view of the tripping lever suspended beneath the car platform.

A and B represent a pair of parallel rails of a track, the fixed frog C being a con- Specifieation of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24:, Serial No. 337,779.

tinuation of the rail A while the position of the pivoted frog D determines whether the car wheel passing over it shall continue on the main rail B or be diverted to the branch or siding track E.

Extending transversely of the track from the pivoted frog D is a link F, whose other end is connected with one end of the pivoted angular lever L, which rests upon the block G; from the other branch of the lever L, extends the link H, which is connected with the lower end of the Y-shaped contact lever J, which is pivoted as at K in the base I, which is located considerably nearer the rail A than to the rail B. Pivoted on this block I between. the branches M and N of the contact leverJ is a two layered or compound gear or contact wheel P, composed of a top layer having sprocket teeth Q, and a lower portion R whose branches are arranged in cruciform or tour-leafed clover design.

The branches M and N of the contact lever J are of such thickness as to pass under the sprocketed portion of the gear wheel, but they lie in the same plane as the cruciform portion R and are adapted to have the adjacent inner faces of their outer ends engaged by the rounded ends of these cruciform contact pieces as the whole gear wheel P turns.

This gear or contact wheel P is in such position that as it turns its sprocxet teeth Q, just extend into the vertical plane of the slot T, which forms a narrowed extension of the guide groove S, both of which are located in the plate and extend parallel to the adjacent rail A. The open or entrance end of the guidegroove is curved downwardly from tie exposed surface of the plate f, as shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 6, to facilitate the easy and comparatively gradual dropping thereinte ot the ac tuating finger or red V carried on the car. In Fig. 10 I have shown this rod V as of a slightly bent over or hooked form, yiel.d ingly suspended as by the spring U from a car platform X and adapted to be forced downwardly, against the pull of the spring U by pressure or" the motormans foot upon the stem Y. I do not however, desire to be understood as restricting myself to this particular embodiment of the actuating mechanism.

With whatever form of actuating finger may be used, it is obvious that as the finger pivoted S and slot T, it engages one of the sprocket teeth Q and throws the entire wheel 1 around through an arc of sufficient size to bring one of the arms of the cruciform proj ection underneath into sharp engagement with the tip of the branch M of the contact lever J this latter being pivoted at K, the sharp through the link H, crooked lever L and link Fto the pivoted frog D, pulling the same to such position that the main track is closediand the siding track is open. If the next car to pass that way is also to follow onto the siding, no actuation of the switch is necessary, but if it is to follow the main track, the lowering of the actuating finger V into the groove S and slot T against one of the sprocket teeth Q once more,,causes a turn of the gear wheel P, this time so that one of the projections R engages the other branch N of the contact lever J, which, acting through the link lil, lever L and link F, once more throws the pivoted frog D so as to close the siding track and leave the main track B open.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with main line and sid ing rails, a pivoted switch tongue operably located with respect thereto, gear wheel located in substantially the same horizontal plane as said rails and said switch tongue, in position to be rotatively actuated by the end of an actuating bar supported from a car, a pivoted yoke piece, one or the other of whose oppositely located tip portions are adapted to be engaged by a projecting portion of said gear wheel when the same is actuated, andlink and lever members operatively connecting said pivoted switch tongue and said yoke piece, thereby transmitting to said pivoted frog piece from said gear wheel the actuation due to the engagement of the latter by the suspended actuating bar.

2. The combination, with a pivoted switch tongue and track rails, of a rotatable gear wheel adapted to be successively actuated through an arc of predetermined size by the engagement, each time a car passes thereover, of an actuating bar depending therefrom, a bifurcated lever member pivotally anchored in position for one or the other of its opposing end portions to be engaged by throw of the lever is communicated a rotatable a projecting portion of said gear wheel when rotated, and link and lever members operatively connecting said switch tongue and said bifurcated lever member, whereby movement of said gear wheel when actuated is transmitted to said pivoted switch tongue.

3. In combination with a main track and a siding track, a tongue member operatively associated therewith, a bifurcated lever member operatively connected with said tongue member, a rotatable gear wheel adapted to engage with one of its projecting portions one or the other of the adjacent ends of said bifurcated lever member when actuated by the engagement against it of a rod depending from a car traversing said track, and a guideway into and through which the actuating rod passes before encountering said rotatable gear wheel.

t. The combination of a main track, a siding track, switch tongue members for operatively connecting the same, a bifun cated lever-member operatively connected with said switch tongue members, and a rotatably anchored gear wheel about which the bifurcated end portions of said lever member partially engage, adapted to be actuated through an arc of predetermined size by the engagement thereagainst of a bar suspended from a car traversing said track, thereby sharply contacting one or the other of the bifurcated ends of said lever, and in turn causing the actuation of said switch tongue members accordingly.

5. The combination, with a main track, of a fixed and a pivoted tongue member whereby a siding track is placed in connection therewith, a bifurcated lever member operatively connected with said pivoted tongue member, and a rotatable gear wheel located between the branching portions of said lever member in position to be tripped by a car passing along said track, adapted to sharply engage one or the other of said bifurcated portions of said lever members, thereby actuating through it said pivoted tongue member.

In testimony whereof, I- sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

v HENRY M. COSEY.

lVitnesses /VILLIAM M. SWAN, Jnrrnnson G. T HURBER. 

